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Topic: Do you guys cook your sauce? (Read 9882 times)

I have an Italian chef friend that owns a sports bar here, so naturally he has a large Italian clientele. Sometimes, just for my own entertainment, I will wait till he gets about 3 - 6 Italians at a table. They have all enjoyed some libations.

Then I will, (with the utmost sincerity) tell one of them I am really interested in making an authentic Italian Bolognaise,bechemal etc.... Do they know how to?

That is a good for at least 2 hours of shouting. And you can really learn some good Italian vulgarities.

Interesting discussion, let me throw in a different angle:About two years ago I tried an experiment. I sometimes just open a small can of Hunts tomato sauce to use as pizza sauce (sometimes with some sauteed garlic/olive oil in it) and simmer it a bit not to cook it, but to thicken it up. This time I simmered half the can, and kept the other half untouched. I dressed a pizza, half of it with the uncooked sauce and the other half with the thickened sauce (I marked the perimeter of the crust with toothpicks). After cooking and slicing, I didn't notice a taste difference between the two sides. What I DID notice, however, was that the mozz on top slid right off the "uncooked" side, and generally stayed in place on the thickened side! I'll always go for seeded, sliced fresh tomatoes when I can, but here in Utard that's only 3 months or so. Cooking the "canned tomato sauce" a little bit probably didn't change it as it is already cooked a bit, but it was an interesting experiment nonetheless.

I toyed with the idea of putting fresh crushed tomato into a bowl, and then inserting an aquarium bubbler. This would (eventually) thicken the sauce via dehydration without cooking it at all, but I haven't gone this far yet.

for most american/deepdish/sicilian and non-neo styles, a cooked sauce is most accurate to the consistency of the nature of the beast, it seems.

I'd say the complete opposite, apart from Sicilian. I know some DD Places in Chicago cook the sauce but the best, IMO is uncooked until it's put in the oven, unless that's what you mean by cooked sauce, cooked in the oven and not before.

If you buy whole canned tomatoes, and run it through a food mill to remove seeds and skins, it still seems too watery to use as a sauce. It seems you have to simmer it for about 30 minutes to thicken it up. Thoughts?

If you buy whole canned tomatoes, and run it through a food mill to remove seeds and skins, it still seems too watery to use as a sauce. It seems you have to simmer it for about 30 minutes to thicken it up. Thoughts?

No need to cook, just pour into a fine mesh strainer. 20 minutes later, it'll be less watery.

I'd say the complete opposite, apart from Sicilian. I know some DD Places in Chicago cook the sauce but the best, IMO is uncooked until it's put in the oven, unless that's what you mean by cooked sauce, cooked in the oven and not before.

the average pizza shop sauce is thick like that of a spaghetti sauce. disregarding prepared sauces (escalon, stanislaus, don pepino, etc) the shop that makes their own sauce is rarely a mix and ladle turnkey operation, most of them cook their sauces from what i've seen, at least around here. even a few places in NY i visited did the same thing.

for most american/deepdish/sicilian and non-neo styles, a cooked sauce is most accurate to the consistency of the nature of the beast, it seems. i would assume that due to FDA regulations, that products have to be heated to a certain temperature to be sold but this could be speculation

The canning process usually reaches at least 240F to be sure no harmfuls like botulina can live at that temp I think. So theoretically, they are already "cooked" once already.

Yes, I think the heating done in the canning process changes the flavor a lot.

I've used uncooked fresh tomatoes before and the flavor and color are very different compared to uncooked canned tomatoes. Uncooked fresh tomatoes are more bitter and paler, even when ripe. Cooking the fresh sauce brings it closer to an uncooked canned tomato, as one might expect.

The only type of pizza I've ever seen that generally uses uncooked fresh tomatoes (i.e. not from a can) is the typical pizza in Sao Paulo. You can tell not only from the flavor but also because it's more pink/purple than red, even with the good quality, ripe tomatoes you can get in Brazil.

No need to cook, just pour into a fine mesh strainer. 20 minutes later, it'll be less watery. Tried this - had a 28 ounce can of Cento whole tomatoes, ran it through OXO food mill, and then put it fine mesh strainer. I was left with 16 ounces of nicely concentrated tomato puree that worked great as a pizza sauce with some seasoning. Thanks Mmmph!! Mark

I run my tomatoes through a mesh strainer till im left with only meaty tomato flesh inside, and set aside.Then i take the liquids from the bowl underneath the mesh and simmer that down on low heat with fresh herbs and spices till its almost a bit thicker then puree, run through mesh to remove all the herbs and let cool.Then combine with the uncooked tomatoes.

I've been making homemade pizza every Friday (except Lent, then it;s Saturday) for the last 5 years. I have tried many different ways of "creating" the sauce. I have always had browned sausage of some sort in my pizzas. I also put chopped olives, peppers, onions, and mushrooms in the sauce, mainly to put vegetables in the pizza without putting them on top for them to see. So it made sense to me to always cook the sauce before putting it on the pizza.

I have also tried making it ahead of time, the taste was ok, but it didn't spread worth a hoot. It is all personal preference as to how it is applied, I prefer cooking it right before putting it on.

Just an observation from a novice,I've been using the big 6lb+ cans of "pizza sauce" and the Redpack,6 in 1,and Primo Gusto brands that I've tried have all had no seasoning other than salt and 2 had basil also.I just assumed they were quality bases to create a sauce by seasoning to one's own taste,I usually add a little garlic and herbs and microwave for 25-30 seconds before using.With uncooked sauces,do you not use much seasoning or just put herbs on top?

Upon making a new batch of sauce today, I decided to try out "uncooked" or "unsimmered" method with my great value crushed tomatoes. Mixed with fresh basil, some oregano and a few other spices as usual.

Result: too sharp of a tomato taste for me. Maybe some of you like pizza to taste like you're biting into a tomato, but personally I prefer a smoothed out taste that simmering the sauce creates. If you're after real tomato, use a real tomato. If you're after a pizza sauce, make some pizza sauce

In addition, I took half of the sauce that was left uncooked, and simmered up the other half. The pinky taste test told me I preferred the simmered sauce.

Of course, I'd suggest everybody try sauce uncooked and then simmered, as it's all subjective. Part of the allure of home made pizza is that you can make it exactly how you like it, right down to the sauce.

The only cooked sauce I've ever enjoyed on a pizza is from Lucali in the Carrol Gardens 'hood of Brooklyn. They cook their sauce, for hours (4 I believe...maybe 5) and it's quite a quality sauce indeed.